As a licensed professional, business owner, executive, public official, or other high profile or high-net-worth individual, you are a prime target for federal prosecution. This is particularly true when you live and work in a city such as Anaheim, which is home to one of the courthouses of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Federal agents at local field offices and local Assistant United States Attorneys aggressively pursue criminal charges carrying substantial fines and long-term imprisonment, and they use the federal government’s vast resources to seek convictions at trial.

At Oberheiden, P.C., our Anaheim criminal defense lawyers provide aggressive and strategic representation for individuals facing criminal investigations and charges. With a practice focused exclusively on criminal defense, we have represented clients in more than 1,000 federal investigations, 1,000 grand jury proceedings, and 500 criminal trials. We use our substantial experience to craft comprehensive, cohesive, and litigation-tested defense strategies. And while our Anaheim criminal defense lawyers fight to resolve each client’s case as quickly as possible, when necessary, we are fully prepared to defend our clients in federal court.

In order to mitigate the consequences of your investigation or indictment, it is critical that you seek legal representation immediately. Our Anaheim criminal defense attorneys are available 24/7, and we can schedule a comprehensive initial case assessment as soon as possible. Call 888-680-1745 now.

An Extensive Track Record at All Stages of Federal Criminal Litigation

If you are aware that you are being targeted by federal authorities, you need to put experience on your side. By the time federal agents or prosecutors reveal their intentions, they have already begun taking the steps necessary to meet the government’s burden of proof at trial. As a result, you need to act quickly in order to level the playing field and you need to do everything possible to resolve your case without a “guilty” verdict at trial.

1. Federal Agency Investigation

Most of our clients come to us while they are under investigation. If you are being targeted by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), or any other federal authority, we can use our vast experience in federal criminal cases to protect you. Once you engage our firm to represent you, our attorneys will begin preparing immediately to intervene in the investigation and execute a strategic defense focused on preventing charges from being filed.

2. Grand Jury Subpoena and Testimony

In federal criminal cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office must convene a grand jury in order to secure an indictment. Prosecutors must establish “probable cause” to pursue charges. And while they will try to use your own testimony against you, there are steps you can take (and that you need to take) in order reduce the chances of this happening. Our Anaheim federal criminal defense lawyers provide legal representation at all stages of the grand jury process, including:

Challenging grand jury subpoenas

Negotiating with prosecutors to reduce the scope of grand jury subpoenas

Preparing documents for disclosure in response to grand jury subpoenas

Preparing for grand jury testimony

Providing legal representation during grand jury proceedings (though this must be done outside of the courtroom)

3. Pretrial Strategy and Litigation

While being indicted can mean that you will be forced to fight for your freedom at trial, our experience has shown that it is also very possible to secure favorable outcomes prior to trial. As a result, while some firms simply prepare their clients’ cases for trial, we use all aspects of the pretrial process to our clients’ advantage – with the goal of negotiating a plea bargain that minimizes the consequences of our client’s indictment or securing a pretrial dismissal of our client’s charges in their entirety.

4. Trial Defense

If the best (or only) option appears to be to take your case to verdict, we will be meticulously prepared when the time comes. Through exhaustive research, strategic planning, and a collaborative approach that utilizes each of our attorneys’ respective strengths, we prepare to attack the government’s case from all angles. This includes:

Seeking to have incriminating evidence suppressed from the jury;

Cross-examining the government’s witnesses and challenging their credibility;

Challenging the sufficiency of the government’s case (i.e., demonstrating that the prosecution has not met its burden of proof); and

Presenting constitutional, statutory, and common law defenses that leave the jury with little choice but to find you not guilty of the crime (or crimes) alleged.

5. Federal Appeal

In federal criminal matters, a conviction is not necessarily the end of your case. If a federal jury has found you guilty, our appellate lawyers can determine the grounds you have available to file an appeal. We represent clients in federal appeals across the country, including in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Learn More about Your Case

As the target of a federal investigation or a defendant in the federal criminal justice system, the more you know about your situation, the better. While our highly skilled Anaheim criminal defense attorneys will explain everything you need to know and provide personalized legal advice during your free initial case assessment, we also encourage you to read:

What are Conditions for Pretrial Release? – If you are in federal custody, getting you out of prison will be our first priority. There are specific defense strategies for seeking pretrial release, and our attorneys can help to restore your freedom.

Federal Grand Jury Subpoena Defense – When you are served with a grand jury subpoena, you first need to respond appropriately, and then you need to prepare your testimony. Our attorneys can guide you through both stages of this process while taking the formal legal steps necessary to protect you.

What Is the Burden of Proof in Federal Criminal Cases? – In federal district court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office must prove your guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” This is a high burden. But with decades of experience, many federal prosecutors are very good at what they do.

How to Prepare for a Criminal Trial – What can you do to help make sure the U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot meet its burden of proof? Here are some steps you can take and some mistakes you need to avoid.

How Can I Prepare for My Sentencing Hearing? – After a conviction in federal district court, you will need to attend a separate sentencing hearing where the judge will hand down your sentence. However, even once you have been convicted, your sentence is not a foregone conclusion. It is crucial that you continue to aggressively pursue a strategic defense.

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs): Avoiding a Conviction and Sentencing in Federal District Court

It depends. Remember, all an indictment means is that the members of the grand jury believed there was probable cause for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue charges against you. In order to obtain a conviction, the Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuting your case must prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If you committed a crime and the government has admissible evidence to prove it, then avoiding a conviction could be an uphill battle. It may be in your best interests to try to negotiate a plea bargain. However, even if you took the steps necessary to commit a federal offense, you could still have defenses available. As a result, you should never assume that you are guilty and you should not make any assumptions about the outcome of your case until you speak with our experienced Anaheim federal defense attorneys.

Again, due to the complexities of the federal criminal code and criminal justice system, you should never assume that you are guilty of a crime. However, if you engaged in conduct that constitutes a federal crime, our Anaheim criminal defense lawyers may still be able to help you avoid a conviction by asserting defenses including:

Yes, we have multiple office locations in Southern California, and we have criminal defense attorneys on our defense team who are admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Learn more about our federal criminal defense team.

Discuss Your Federal Case in Confidence

We provide a free initial case assessment, and attorneys on our Anaheim federal criminal defense lawyers are available 24/7. To discuss your case in confidence, call 888-680-1745 or tell us how to reach you online now.

All website terms, conditions, and disclaimers apply to this information and are hereby fully incorporated. Specifically, this information has been prepared (1) for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; (2) This information may constitute attorney advertising in some jurisdictions; (3) Merely reading this information does not create an attorney-client relationship; (4) Attorneys of Oberheiden, P.C., are not licensed in all states but are only licensed to practice in the states mentioned in their respective biographies. Nothing contained in here is meant to constitute the unauthorized practice of law or a suggestion of physical presence in the state; (5) Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes in the future.

Impeccable Service

ratingratingratingratingrating

Nick Oberheiden is the absolute best federal litigation attorney. Nick gives you the immediate comfort of feeling 100% protected. He is polite, respectful— and extremely compelling. His legal strategy turned out to be brilliant.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcome. NOTICE: All visitors to this Website are informed that Oberheiden, P.C. (“Firm”) affiliates with independent and separate attorneys (“Local Counsel”) and their respective law firms on a case by case basis. If and when this applies to a particular client, we will disclose the details to client in writing for their approval. In some cases, pursuant to Rule 7.04 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and the equivalent in other jurisdictions, a case is referred to a Local Counsel, the Firm will not participate in the representation. In such a case, client will sign an engagement exclusively with the Local Counsel.